Could the FAA have kept towers operating?

March 30, 2013

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder revealed recently he has found a way to avoid furloughing thousands of federal prison guards.

The Justice Department had claimed would be necessary because of "sequester" spending cuts.

Holder said he has moved $150 million from other agency accounts to fund the guards.

If Holder can do it at the Justice Department, why can't the Federal Aviation Administration come up with a similar plan?

FAA officials, also blaming the sequester, say air traffic control towers at 149 airports throughout the country will be shut down. That means pilots will have to coordinate takeoffs and landings on their own, including here at the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport. Officials say pilots can communicate effectively and safely land and takeoff on their own at smaller airports with less traffic, but certainly air traffic controls add a level of safety that's missing now.

If Holder was able to keep his guards, why can't the FAA keep airport control towers up and running?